A TOTAL of 407,881 children in the Volta Region are expected to be vaccinated against measles and rubella this month, Mr Anthony Pani, Regional Expanded Programme on Immunisation Coordinator has disclosed.

He told journalists prior to the formal launch of the mass measles-rubella campaign in Ho last week that 510 teams, 1,500 volunteers, 510 vaccinators and more than 400 sub-district and regional supervisors had been assigned for the exercise slated for October 17 – 22.

Mr Pani said that the vaccination would come with Vitamin A supplement for each child, adding that the targets were children between nine months and 59 months old.

According to him, there would be vaccination posts at vantage points in all the communities.

He gave the assurance that there was adequate logistics for the exercise in all the 25 districts.

Mr Pani pointed out that the measles and rubella were very dangerous and infectious diseases and urged parents to turn up with their children at the vaccination posts for the exercise to succeed.

In a speech read on his behalf at the launch, Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Regional Minister, said that Ghana had made significant strides on controlling measles for the past 15 years, with no child dying from the disease over the period.

The regional minister, who is a seasoned medical officer said that although rubella was usually non-life threatening it could be very dangerous for the unborn child during pregnancy.

“Congenial Rubella Syndrome can cause life-long conditions such as blindness, deafness, mental retardation, heart defects and a range of other infirmities from diabetes to autism which affect the social, emotional and behavioural development of children,” Dr Letsa revealed.

Therefore, he cautioned that it was extremely important that no child was left out of the exercise.